The Girl On The Beach
by nano-desu13
Summary: Whilst trying to have some alone time, Arthur Kirkland meets a strange girl who seems to be...living on a secluded beach? She's flamboyant, quick to anger, and...talks to sea animals? AU England/Seychelles
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This was a request from a friend. It's AU, and Arthur is about…hmmm, high-school age, I suppose. **

**Alexander – Scotland**

**Eiry – Ireland**

**I know there's also Wales and Northern Ireland, but…*shrugs***

Do you ever have those moments when you just want to go and rip your own throat out?

For me, these particular moments occur...pretty much every moment I spend at home with the dysfunctional crazies I call my family.

My little brother, Peter, might just be the most obnoxious child on earth. He follows me around like some ten-year old shadow, demanding that I refer to him as 'Sea-kun', Lord knows why. He sneaks leftover shrimp under my bed that I don't notice until they start to stink up my entire bedroom days later. (That smell literally just knocks you out, let me tell you.) That pint-sized annoyance calls me names that I didn't learn the meanings of until high school! Alexander probably taught him those vulgar words...either that or he overheard one of our infamous drunken rants?

We really should stop with the drinking before we destroy our livers.

My oldest sibling and formal guardian is my fiery-tempered sister Eiry. When we were kids, we used to fight like cats and dogs. A decade or so later, nothing has changed. Except instead of stealing all her dolls, I steal all her alcohol; and instead of showing everyone I know a video she took of me potty-training when I was two, she shows everyone I know high-resolution pictures of me practicing my kissing abilities with a pillow.

She would still show everyone the potty-training video...thankfully, I destroyed it. Beat it to death with a crowbar, to be exact.

My brother Alexander's the closest in age to me. Which would be bloody nice and all, if he wasn't so abusive! Seriously, the last half-hour of my life was spent with him pinning me to the ground while he took a set of huge-arsed tweezers and FORCIBLY PLUCKED MY GODDAMN EYEBROWS. Considering the unnaturally large and fast-growing eyebrows my family was cursed with, they'll probably be back and as bushy as ever by tomorrow. But still, my God, that hurt! Granted, at least it's better than that one incident that involved a cigarette, a cup of scalding-hot tea, and a plastic magic wand.

I shall explain no further.

Anyways, seeing as how everyone has a breaking point, I happened to reach mine that one night. Normally, I'd go steal Eiry's booze and drink heartily until I met the blissful nothingness of unconsciousness, but this night, she was out of rum and beer and all that was left was a bottle of fancy French wine.

I fucking _hate_ French wine.

I needed somewhere to be alone and clear my mind, and I knew just the perfect place.

You see; not that far from our house is a small, secluded little beach by a road. It was pretty, with fine white sand and clear, shallow bluish-green water. No one really knew about it though, because it was hidden by the tall, leafy trees that seemed to grow everywhere in our area. I noticed it one day while driving down that road; the reclusive little location peeking out from behind invasive, knobbly tree branches. I happen to be a very perceptive person...although some may argue that 'delusional' is a far more fitting word.

With a destination in mind, I half-ran into my bedroom, pried open the window, and expertly slipped out without a sound. I'd just stay at the beach for a little while to enjoy the wonderful isolation, then come back before it got dark.

It's funny how plucked eyebrows and leftover shrimp can set up such a fateful chance meeting...

**A/N: Yeah, I know it's basically a huge tangent about how dysfunctional the Eyebrows Family is, but…it gets more substantial in the next chapter, I promise. (At least, I think it does…)**


	2. Chapter 2

"Fuck!" I swore as a branch tore into my shirt. "Stupid tree..."

A thought crossed my mind, _They should really clear off the entrance..._ before I caught myself, realizing that I was probably the only one who knew the beach was even there. _Which_, I reminded myself, _is a good thing_.

I dodged another overhanging branch, and walked onto the beach.

It really was a beautiful place. Calm, cerulean-blue waves lapped gently onto the fine white sand, leaving opaque little seashells behind in its wake. I was glad no one else knew of the place, because if they did, it would be littered with discarded beer bottles and forgotten toys.

Ever notice that the human race seems to bring everything they touch to ruins?

You see, that's the kind of thinking that gets most people I meet to come to the conclusion that I'm strange. That, and my slightly unhealthy interest in the occult.

Staring at the sky, I waded into the water until I was about waist-deep in. The water was freezing cold and made my fingertips numb. Fish darted around, occasionally brushing against my legs. Other than the fish, I was completely and utterly alone. I thought this feeling of isolation was the best feeling in the world.

Selfishly, I thought that I would be much better off if I was the only person on Earth. Then, I shook my head, rejecting the notion as completely irrational.

I noticed that the ocean and evening sky held every shade of blue imaginable. Variations of aquamarine, sapphire, and even some slight tinges of green blended and ran over each other like a watercolour painting that water got spilled on.

I even spotted a flash of bright red over in the distance-...

...wait. What the hell?

I scrambled out of the water and walked cautiously over to where I saw the flash of red. When I got closer, I realized that the flash of red belonged to a figure in the water.

It was a girl who looked to be a few years younger than me, give or take. She was lying half-submerged in the ocean, her billowy white dress moving in rhythm to the waves. The flash of red I saw were two vibrantly-coloured ribbons keeping her dark-brown hair in neat twin pigtails. The girl's eyes were closed peacefully, and I would have thought she was dead had I not heard her snoring faintly.

Curiously, I came up beside the younger girl and shook her shoulder gently, unconsciously putting my face close to hers. "Hey, are you okay?" I asked softly. I wasn't really expecting an answer, considering how deeply she seemed to be sleeping.

What I REALLY wasn't expecting was for her to reach up and smack me across the face.


	3. Chapter 3

"Wha-...what the bloody hell?" I spluttered, wincing from the newly-formed hand mark on my cheek.

The girl glared at me in suspicion, her tanned hand still poised dangerously near my face. "WHO ARE YOU?"

"I could ask you the same question." I retorted. 'How unfortunate. I came here to be alone only to get bitch-slapped. If that's not Life telling me to go die, I don't know what is.'

The girl studied my face for a long time, then sighed. "I'm sorry. I haven't seen another person in a long time."

I wondered what she meant by that. Was she a recluse? I didn't want to ask her, for fear of her getting offended and hitting me again. Her being a girl, I wouldn't be able to hit her back. (Eiry was definitely an exception to that rule, however. Annoying sisters don't count.)

"No...I'm sorry for disturbing you." I sighed, getting up out of the water. My clothes were dripping wet with salty seawater, and there was sand in my shoes. This little field trip was turning out to be more trouble than it was worth.

"Wait!" the girl called. I turned back, blinking questioningly.

"I'm curious about something. How'd you find out about this beach? No one but me has ever been here before!" she stared at me with a cross between amazement and annoyance, as if I'd just snuck into her bedroom or something. "This has been my special place since I could remember! It's practically home to me!"

I frowned. "Well, sorry for being overly perceptive."

Not catching the sarcasm in the statement, she said, "You're not welcome. Now if I catch you sneaking up on me again, I'll sic Gills on you!"

"Gills?"

She stared down, darting her eyes in several directions, looking for something in the water. Finally she fished into the water and pulled out a wriggling little shark that stared at me venomously. "One of my pets! He'll bite your girly little fingers off if I tell him to!"

I felt my mouth quirk up in amusement against my will. "You have a pet shark?"

She nodded. "Sharks are terribly misunderstood." The shark nuzzled into the girl's chest and -I swear!- purred as she stroked its skin lovingly. "Gills's like a puppy with fins. But a puppy with sharp teeth, let me remind you!"

"Then as I said before, sorry to disturb you." I snapped, tired of this girl's blunt rudeness, and got up again to leave. I wanted to make it home and change out of my wet clothes before my siblings noticed my absense.

I stared at the blonde boy as he walked away indignantly, finding myself to be throughly intrigued. I haven't had the company of other people in quite awhile, and I was beginning to forget what it was like.

"Y'know, Gills..." I murmured, propping my head up on my folded arms. "I wouldn't really mind if that guy came back. No offense, but I've been feeling kinda lonely lately."

Gills looked at me with his sharky little eyes as if to say, "You're crazy, Sey.", and jumped back into the water with a barely audible splash


End file.
